BCL-2 expression correlates with lower proliferative activity in the intermediate- and high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas: an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group and Southwest Oncology Group cooperative laboratory study.
An inverse relationship between BCL-2 expression and cell cycle transition has been suggested by recent studies in murine models. To investigate the clinical relevance of these laboratory studies, a group of 116 paraffin-embedded non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) biopsy specimens (Working Formulation Groups D-H, and J) from a cooperative group study of cellular DNA content were analyzed for the 14;18 translocation using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods and, if sufficient tissue remained, for BCL-2 and BAX expression by immunohistochemistry. The results of these studies were then compared with the results of the previously performed flow cytometric analysis of ploidy and proliferative activity (S-phase-fraction). BCL-2 expression was inversely associated with proliferative activity (P = .001; n = 41), but there was no association between staining for Bax and %S-phase. Ploidy was not associated with either BCL-2 or BAX expression. The t(14;18) was detected in 21 of the 54 cases in which PCR-amplifiable DNA was recovered; 20 of these occurred at the major breakpoint region and 1 at the minor breakpoint region. High levels of BCL-2 or BAX expression occurred independently of t(14;18). There was no association between t(14;18) and either ploidy or proliferative activity. The inverse relationship between BCL-2 expression and proliferative activity in the intermediate- and high-grade NHLs is consistent with recent studies suggesting that Bcl-2 both retards entry into the cell cycle and inhibits apoptosis.
Winter
J N
JN
Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
Andersen
J
J
Reed
J C
JC
Krajewski
S
S
Variakojis
D
D
Bauer
K D
KD
Fisher
R I
RI
Gordon
L I
LI
Oken
M M
MM
Jiang
S
S
Jeffries
D
D
Domer
P
P
D002455:Cell Division; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D016196:S Phase
D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2